The Dutch Board of Government Advisors and Zwolle city council have selected, from over 50 entrants, ‘De Nieuwe Veenmarkt’ as the winner of the biobased design competition. The 20’000 m2 plan includes 130 homes (of which 70% are social and affordable), a community centre, an energy production hub, car and bicycle storage; and is organised around a collective garden where people, animals and plants live together.

The jury, chaired by Chief Government Architect Francesco Veenstra, was unanimous in its verdict, praising the «integrated and inclusive aspects of the plan, which demonstrates both idealism and realism.” There was also appreciation for the way the proposal sketched out a vision over the longer term, which they found particularly convincing. The jury underlined their high expectations for the proposal, looking forward to the next steps of the construction process.

With the programme A New Building Culture, the Dutch Board of Government Advisors has challenged clients, designers and professionals in the building industry to show, by using biobased materials, how a new building culture can be established. A building culture that contributes to sustainable, nature-inclusive and high quality living and working environments. Not reasoning from what has to be done, but what can be done, with soil and water systems serving as a foundation for this nature-inclusive biobased form of building. With this competition, the Municipality of Zwolle hopes to act as a catalyst for changes in building culture.